Control apparatus



T. C. WURTS.

CONTROL APPARATUS.

APPLRCATION FILED JAN.16, 1917.

1,347,885. Patented July 27, 1920.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR 7770 07056 Wurf' I M ATTORNEY 25 aimed control drums embodying arelatively simple mechanism for rendermgthe I'OtfltlVB movement of the drums mutuallyexcluslve,

.UNITEDSTATES PATENTQOFFICE,

THOMAS owunrs, or PITTSBURGH, rENNsr'LvANIA, AssIGNon'ro WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ;THOMAS C. 'WURTs, a citizenof the United States, anda resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State or" Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Control/Apparatus, of which the following is'a' specifi- CfltlOIl.

My invention relates to control apparatus and especially to controllers of the drum typethat-are adapted for a double function, such as the control of-accel'era'ting and regenerative circuits or of circuits for effect which shall be relatively compact and simplein construction and effective and reliable in operation and which shall peri orm'the desired function of a governing "two different sets of ClYCLllll" connections through the agency of a single Operating handle; 1' In another aspect, it is the object of my invention to provide a plurality of vertically and-a common handl'e for effecting-the movement of eitherdrum, 1n accordance-with the will of the operator, without requiring any readjustment or substantial change in the initial location of the operating handle;

My invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying "drawing,

; wherein Figure 1 is a -view,in elevation, of

a control apparatusconstructed in accordance with my present'invention; Fig. 2 is a developed view of an interior portion of the upper half of the control apparatus;

' Fig. 3 is a similar view or a corresponding interior portion of thelower halffof the.

device; and Fig. l"is atransverse sectional view taken on the plane IV-IV oi Fig. 1;

Referring tothe drawing, the apparatus shown comprises a plurality of control drums 1 and 2, ofa familiar type, that are arranged in-substantially' vertical alinement; ahollow shattB which extendsthrough both drums and loosely rotates therewithin, the

1- lower end of thesha-ft 3 being located in a suitable stationary bearing member 4; a rod 5 which is loosely positioned within the hollow shaft3 and proj'ectsbeyond the upper end thereof for a purpose to be dereverse' operation of one CONTROL APPARATUS,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J l 27 1920 Application and January 1e, 1917. Serial NO. 142,642. J i

' scribed; a suitableoperating handle 6, of a familiar type, that is rigidly associated with the upper end of the hollow shaft 3 5' and a disk or knob 7 that is fixedly attached to the upper end of the rod 5.

As stated above, the drums 1 and 2 may be employed for any desired control purposes, such as the control of accelerating and regenerative circuits of one or more motors. Such adaptation of the drums is indicated by a plurality of stationary con trol fingers 10 which are engaged by suitable contact segments 11 of the drum 1 when moved through its successive operative positions (0, b, etc., in a clockwise direction, as indicated by the corresponding arrow. An

annular slot 12 surrounding the hollow shaft 3 is located in the central interior portion of the, drum 1 and is provided with an upwardly-extending recess 13, more clearly shown in the-developed view of Fig. 2, withinwhich a lug or projection 14 of the" rod 5 normally rests, as illustrated. The wall of the hollow-shaft 3 is provided with a corresponding slot.- a

The. other or regenerative control drum 2 is likewise provided with a sultalole number of stationary control fingers 20'and-movablecooperating contact segments 21 for engaging the control fingers 20 upon movement of the drum 2 through its successive positions a, 6, etc., in a counter-clockwise direction, as indicated by the corresponding sponding to the previously described slot. 12

. and'having a downwardly extending recess 23, best shown in Fig.3, is provided, and a second lug or projection 24 of the shaft 5 normally reposes within the slot 22 just above'the recess 23, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The hollow shaft 3 is provided with a slot that registers with the 'drumslot 22 and'the An annular interior slot 22, come 27 are properly located with respect to the drums 1 and 2 to prevent counter-clockwise and clockwise movement thereof, respectively.

Inasmuch as the type or specific location of the cooperating stationary and movable contact members is immaterial to my present invention, I have not deemed it necessary to fully illustrate or describe a construction which is familiar to those skilled in the art, and it will be understood that any desired disposition of such contact members may be employed.

Assuming that the various parts occupy the illustrated positions, which correspond to the normal or off position of both control drums, the clockwise rotative movement of the upper drum 1 may be effected by corresponding rotative movement of the operating handle 6, whereby the hollow shaft 3 engages the lug 14 of the rod 5 which lug, in turn, engages the side wall of the interior drum recess 13, whereby the desired movement is imparted to the control drum 1. Any degree of forward or backward movement of the control drum 1 may thus be produced by correspondingly actuating the operating handle 6. In the meanwhile, the other lug 2 1 of the rod 5 travels within the drum interior slot 22 and the corresponding slot in the wall of the hollow shaft 3, and no movement of the regenerative control drum 2 occurs. As previously stated, any accidental movement of the drum 2, through the agency of undue friction, etc, is effectively precluded through the use of the stop member 27.

Assuming that the various controller-parts occupy the illustrated positions and that it is desired to effect operation of the lower control drum 2, the knob 7 may be pressed downwardly in opposition to the action of the spring 25 and given a slight turn in the counter-clockwise direction, whereby the upper lug 14 of the rod 5 enters the interior slot 12. Thus, the rod 5 is held in its lower position, wherein the lower lug 24 of the rod 5 rests within the interior recess 23 of the drum 2.

Upon a continued or subsequent movement of the operating handle 6 in the counterclockwise direction, a corresponding movement of the lower control drum 2 is effected through the agency of the lug 2 1, and any desired forward or backward movement of the control drum 2 may be effected by merely actuating the handle 6 in a corresponding manner. During such operation, the upper lug 14 of the rod 5 travels within the interior drum slot 12 and the corresponding slot in the wall of the hollow shaft 3, so that no normal movement of the drum 1 occurs, while the presence of the stop 26 completely prevents any accidental movement of the drum 1 in the counter-clockwise direction.

I do not wish to be restricted to the specific structural details or arrangement of parts herein set forth, as various modifications thereof may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A control apparatus embodying a plurality of movable contact-carrying members, means for rendering the movement of said members mutually exclusive and for selectively controlling the movements of said members, and a common handle member for moving either of said members substantially without change in its own initial location.

2. A control apparatus embodying a plurality of movable contact-carrying members, means for rendering the movement of said members mutually exclusive, a common handle member for moving either of said members substantially without change in its own initial location, and biasing means for normally effecting mechanical connection of said handle member to a certain movable member.

3. A control apparatus for electrical systems embodying a plurality of movable contact-carrying members, a shaft loosely associated therewith, and adjustable means for determining which movable member shall be actuated by movement of said shaft.

at. A control apparatus for electrical systems embodying a plurality of movable contact-carrying members, a shaft loosely associated therewith, means normally operatively engaging said shaft and one of said movable members, and means for causing said first means to operatively engage said shaft and another movable member.

5. A control apparatus embodying a plurality of movable drums, a shaft'loosely assoclated therewith, means biased to normally operatively engage said shaftand one of said drums, and means for effecting disengagement from that drum and engagement with said shaft and a second drum.

6. A control apparatus embodying a plurality of movable drums, a shaft loosely associated therewith, means biased to normally operatively engage said shaft and one of said drums to effect rotative movement thereof in the one direction, and means for effecting mutually exclusive engagement with said shaft and a second drum to effect rotative movement thereof in the opposite direction.

7 A control apparatus for electrical systems embodying a plurality of rotatable contact-carrying drums, a hollow shaft loosely associated therewith, and a rod extending through said shaft and adapted to adjustably engage said shaft and the one the other drum by said shaft.

9. A control apparatus embodying a plurality of rotatable drums having interior annular slots respectively provided with an upwardly-extending and a downwardly-e20 tending recess, a hollow shaft loosely inclosed by said drums and having correspondingly located side slots, a rod extending through said shaft and having a plurality of side lugs, and means for causing the one or the other of said. lugs to engage the corresponding recess to thereby permit actuation of the one or the other drum by said shaft in opposite directions.

10. A. control apparatus embodying a plurality of rotatable drums having interior annular slots respectively provided with an upwardly-extending and a downwardly-extending recess, a hollow shaft loosely inclosed by said drums and having correspondingly located side slots, a rod extending through said shaft and having a plurality of side lugs, a spring for normally biasing one of said lugs into engagement with the corresponding recess to produce rotative movement of the corresponding drum in the one direction, and means for causing the other lug to engage the other recess to effect rotative movement of the other drum in the opposite direction.

11. A control apparatus embodying a pair of movable contact members, means for exclusively moving either of said members upon the actuation of said means from the same initial. location and means for selective1y controlling the operative connection of said moving means to the one or the otherof said members.

12. In combination, a pair of members having central, longitudinally-aimed openings and annular, interiorly-disposed slots provided wit-h offset recesses connecting therewith; said recesses being oppositely disposed, and a shaft rotatively mounted in said openings and having lugs for cooperating with said slots and said recesses to cause either of said members and said shaft to rotate together, one of said lugs occupying one of said slots when said other lug occupies one-of said recesses and said one lug occupying said other slot when said other lug occupies said other recess.

13. A control apparatus embodying aplurality of longitudinally-alined contactcarrying drums rotatably mounted upon a shaft, means for rendering the movement of said drums mutually exclusive and a common handle memberfor moving either of said drums by actuating said handle from thesame initial positiom In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 2nd day of J an., 191

THOMAS (J. WURTS. 

